TBILISI, May 8 (Reuters) - Georgia's government won a
confidence vote in parliament on Friday, called after Prime
Minister Irakly Garibashvili was forced to reshuffle his cabinet
following a series of resignations over the past year.

The new cabinet includes the former Soviet republic's first
female defence minister, Tina Khidasheli, 41, a former lawmaker
from the ruling coalition and the third minister to hold the
portfolio since July.

President Georgy Margvelashvili, who has warned that Russia
poses a threat to regional security, complained last week about
too frequent changes of defence ministers.

Garibashvili, who has been more reluctant than the president
to criticise Russia, told parliament on Friday that the
country's pro-Western course was irreversible.

"Our main choice is European democracy, our main achievement
- freedom," he said.

His Georgian Dream coalition's credibility has been dented
by squabbling over the pace of economic reforms, worsening crime
and a battle against corruption, as well as by economic problems
including a rising current account deficit and falling exports
and remittances, aggravated by Russia's economic downturn.

Seven ministers have resigned or been sacked in less than a
year, the latest being Sports Minister Levan Kipiani last week.
That triggered Friday's confidence vote, which the constitution
stipulates must be held if more than a third of the cabinet is
replaced.

Parliament also approved Gigla Agulashvili as environment
minister on Friday, as well as Tariel Khechikashvili, a former
co-owner of one of Georgia's largest car dealerships, Iberia
Business Group, to replace Kipiani.

Georgia, which is crossed by pipelines carrying Caspian oil
and gas from Azerbaijan to Europe, has not had diplomatic
relations with Russia since Russian forces drove deep into the
country during a 5-day war in 2008.

Margvelashvili says his country's future is linked to the
European Union and NATO. It signed an Association Agreement with
the EU last year but its ambition of joining NATO has
effectively been on hold since the 2008 war.
(Editing by Susan Fenton and Alan Crosby)